Saudi Arabia announced the deaths of more than 1,300 pilgrims during the recent Hajj. Most who died did not have official permits. They walked in extreme heat without enough shelter, which caused many deaths.
Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said 83% of those who died did not have the right permits. Before this, reports said over 1,100 had died. Many of the dead were from Egypt. 630 out of 658 Egyptian pilgrims who died were not authorized.
Saudi officials had not talked about how many people died before this. But on Friday, an official said 577 died on two days: June 15 during prayers on Mount Arafat and June 16 during the “stoning of the devil” ritual in Mina. The official said many unauthorized pilgrims did not know how dangerous it could be.
Saudi Health Minister Fahd Al-Jalajel praised how Hajj was managed. He said even though it was hard, they gave more than 465,000 special treatments, including for unauthorized pilgrims.
Demand for Hajj Permits Soars
Hajj is a big Islamic ritual. It is one of the five pillars of Islam. Every Muslim who can must do it at least once. This year, 1.8 million pilgrims went, with 1.6 million from other countries. It was very hot, with temperatures in Makkah going up to 51.8°C (125°F).
Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly did something after many Egyptians died. He took away the licenses of 16 tourism companies and sent their leaders to court. These companies made illegal pilgrimages without using the right Hajj visa system, so more people died.
Pilgrims get Hajj permits in a certain way, and many want them. It costs a lot and only a few people can get them. This makes some people go on Hajj without the right permission, even if it is very dangerous.
To read our blog on “Hajj 2024 begins as over 1.5Mn. pilgrims arrive in Saudi,” click here
